Sneaky

Chapter 83

Be warned, this chapter was a little rushed for reasons I will explain at the end. And I MIGHT possibly come back later and rewrite it. If that happens, I will put a note at the beginning of chp 84 to let you know to go back and read 83 before proceeding.

Now enough talk. Enjoy!

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I took a step forward, "There's already at least one man out there, who's gone back and knows there's a group around these parts."

"A group responsible for the deaths of a number of their men." I pointed in the direction of town.

Confused, alarmed eyes shot to me like I just declared I'm infected.

"He drove off, saving his own skin, and left that kid behind as a human kabob."

Looks of realization shot between each of the 3 men who were in that fight with me when it all went down. The bullet graze on my shoulder is still healing.

"Whoa whoa whoa— What?" Shane stepped forward and I barely took notice of my hand shifting to the hilt of my knife, but I did register moving my foot half a step back because I didn't realize Daryl is standing right behind me now, and my heel made contact with what I assume is his shoe.

"What are you talking about?" T looked at me for explanation but turned his eyes towards Glenn, as the young man groaned.

"Oh my god..." Glenn rubbed his forehead gravely. "How did we forget about that guy?"

"What guy?" Daryl pressed.

"There were 2 men other than the kid. We killed one of them, Randall jumped from the roof, but the other man... He drove off before we got outta there." Rick answered, running a hand down his mouth.

"And you're just tellin' us this now?" Shane is near seething.

"It doesn't matter. There's nothing we can do about him now, but the point is, Randall is not our biggest threat here."

"What if they come back for him?" Andrea cocked her hip, her hands swinging up before smacking down against her legs.

"They won't." Rick shook his head.

"And why's that huh?" Shane scoffed incredulously.

"Why would you waste precious resources on going back for someone you barely know, who you believe was either devoured, or is a walker?"

"She has a point. I mean," Glenn gestured at me. "If they were gonna go back for him, they'd have done it by now."

"Listen, I know you're scared. You're afraid of being in danger, of losing what little we have right now, of losing each other... afraid of dying. You —and I— have a right to every last one of those things." I pause, looking around the room; almost pleading with my eyes. "But none of that will change with or without Randall's pulse. From today, to tomorrow, to the next. To however long we're around for."

"Right now... there is a scared, 20 something kid sitting in a dark shack, alone, chained to a wall. Who's friends betrayed him, and he narrowly escaped death only by the hands of those who killed several of the only living he knows —who have been keeping him hostage for days while we quibbled amongst ourselves about whether or not his life is worth less than ours."

Expressions of guilt and contemplation around the room brought me a little spark of hope that I might be getting through to them.

"Maybe you think I'm defending his life, maybe you don't. Everyone has raised valid concerns, and made good points. But what we're deciding here is not whether or not to kill the boy." I looked at Dale specifically, when he went to open his mouth, so he'll let me finish my point.